It’s been tough working out how to summarise the year I’ve had. Like everything it’s had its good points, some incredible highs and some morale sapping lows. Which coincidentally is what I’m suffering from now.
December 2010 has finished my year off with a terrific downer. After the exuberance of cracking the 6 stones lost at the end of November I then succumbed to a terrible flu bug, which I’m only just starting to see the back of. That put paid to a whole month’s cycling. And with it went my hyper food discipline. For most of the month I wasn’t stupid with my grub but wasn’t totally on it either, but then Christmas happened. Which I’m ashamed to say saw me revert to my old bad habits. My food consumption went off the scale and the quality of food was awful. So much so I have resolved to wait until the 1st of February 2011 for my first weigh in. This is just so the scales won’t damage me psychologically too much. I’ll have got in a whole months pedalling and food management by then. I believe it’s called damage limitation. Or more realistically shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. A complete and utter falsehood, but one I’ll take to get back on track.
That’s the bad, and the disappointing bit, especially my behaviour re the food. I thought I was better than that. But it seems my relationship with food is still as precarious as ever. No doubt it will be for life.
Looking back on my records I was 19 stones 4 Ibs this time last year. At my last weigh in at the end of November I was 16 stones 4 Ibs, that if my shoddy sums are to be believed is a yearly loss of 3 stones and a grand total of 6 stones lost. Please remember that was at my last weigh in. I have no doubt that my weight is up again following the flu and food (mental illness) relapse.
I’m stating now, to you Gentle Reader, that my goal for next year, that of 2011 is TO LOSE A MINIMUM OF 3 STONES. That will take me to the unheard of weight for me of 13 stones 4 Ibs. I wasn’t that light when I was in the Military and playing rugby at my highest level! But that’s my challenge.
How am I going to do that?
First and most importantly is get my head right. Which even at the time of writing this is getting back into shape. I’m already looking forward to my next pedal and to getting my food management right again. And as we all know (once your head is right), food management is the most important thing to weight loss, not balls out exercising, which did come as something of a shock to me this year. To lose weight the primary thing to remember is to control what goes in your gob! Finally and least important, although still important, is excercise, which in my case will primarily be pedalling to and from work with my upper body and core stuff as soon as I get in from work.
As I keep telling everyone out there who has struggles with their own particular problem that the only battle is with your own mind. Nothing else. Not an illness, not weather, not a perceived crap bike, not circumstances at work or even in your personal life. They’re all excuses that you allow to become “real” reasons for your lack of success. A way of letting yourself off doing what you know to be right.
Sadly, I’m as guilty as anyone with that. As December has proven.
Onto bikey stuff, this old fat MTBer took the plunge and actually got a road bike. A Giant Defy 2 which I love dearly and has given some great trips in 2010. My first 50 miler since I was a kid, my first 100 miler since I was a kid and it allowed me to recreate my 1980s trip to Tywyn with a 114 miler in September. The two 100 milers took place within 2 weeks of each other, not bad for a 46 year old fat bloke!
I didn’t get in as much MTBing as I’d have liked, family and Rugby commitments meant that my weekends were taken up with doing my duty on that front. But I did get some great MTBing in when time allowed. Reacquainting myself with my local trails was an absolute pleasure, doing a ride over proper mountains in Snowdonia and I also discovered a surprising love of filming and photographing my trips. Ok, I may love it, but I’m the first to admit I’m absolutely crap at it!
Health wise the 6 stones loss has got my high BP under control, my sleep is normal, my cholesterol is normal and I’m waiting for a letter from the hospital for an appointment for an echo cardiogram to see if I can come off my heart medication that’s controlling an enlarged heart muscle.
My clothes are hanging off me, I’ve lost 12” off my waist (which is the only body measurement I’ve ever taken while doing this thing) and I’m continually making new holes in my belts and cutting them shorter.
Oh, and I’ve pedalled 3789 miles this year. Next year should be more due to no car to chicken out to!
So, 2011 then.
A self imposed target of a minimum of 3 stones to lose.
That’s the only target, and I will as usual be recording every significant event here. And as usual I won’t be leaving anything out.
All that remains is to wish you my Gentle Reader a very Happy New Year, and as ever you have my undying gratitude for your support and advice and also to apologise to you for the bad December as well, but you won’t be as disappointed in me as I am in myself. I will be back on track come January and that’s a promise!
The Massive MTBer (Don't ever Stop.) 